International Police (Interpol) has recorded another win in its fight against human trafficking as it arrested 15 members of notorious groups specialized in trafficking human and child exploitation across Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin Republic and Côte d’Ivoire.
This was made own on its website, Wednesday, adding that 56 underage victims of sexual exploitation and forced labour were among 90 victims rescued.
In the raids tagged ‘Operation Priscas’ between 5 and 12 December 2022, the operatives rescued the victims in gold mines, open-air markets and residential places.
As contained in the statement, it carried out several raids and vehicle checks on major routes in Côte d’Ivoire.
“In a significant bust, one of those checks led to the identification of a group of 35 victims, including eight minors, who were accompanied by a known human trafficking suspect and his accomplice,” the statement read in part.
It added, “In Burkina Faso, thanks to vehicle profiling, 10 minors were identified as they travelled to an illegal gold mine, where they had been promised work.
“The children, who did not have any identity documents on them, were taken into care and their ‘employer’ arrested. Investigations are ongoing.
“In Benin, authorities concentrated their efforts on the Dantokpa market in Cotonou, the largest open-air market in West Africa, where four children were rescued from situations of forced labour.
“In Togo, a Nigerian national was intercepted en route to Mali in the company of five women, including three minors.
“Her phone revealed that although they had officially been recruited to work in a hair salon, they were going to work in clubs for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
“The case has been referred to the Central Directorate of Judicial Police (DCPJ) for investigation.”
Interpol’s Secretary General, Jürgen Stock said, “As countries and officers cooperate, making the most of our systems and global network, we see the net widening and more criminals identified.
“Victims of all ages are safeguarded after being removed from the exploitation cycle, and suspects are forced to face justice for the harm they have caused.
“This is the very essence of Interpol. We remain committed to coordinating such operations and following up on their results because the work does not stop here.”
